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DARE COUNTY OFFICES HOLIDAY SCHEDULE FOR 2007

TRASH PICK-UP AFFECTED BY SOME HOLIDAYS

Dare County offices will be closed in observance of Martin Luther King Junior’s Birthday on Monday, January 15, 2007.  That is one of twelve scheduled holiday closings for Dare County Offices in 2007.  The other remaining days include Good Friday, April 6; Memorial Day, Monday, May 28; Independence Day, Wednesday, July 4; Labor Day, Monday, September 3; Veteran’s Day, Monday, November 12; Thanksgiving, Thursday, November 22 and Friday, November 23; and Christmas, Monday, December 24, Tuesday, December 25, and Wednesday December 26.

The operations of many county departments are unaffected by the holiday schedule since their services must remain constant such as divisions of the Sheriff’s Office and Emergency Medical Services while others rearrange their schedule to provide as little interruption of service as possible.  Garbage pick-up is one of those services that adapts to the time of year and to holiday schedules. The Sanitation Department, a part of Public Works, provides residential and commercial solid waste collection for all areas of unincorporated Dare County and also the towns of Duck, Southern Shores, and Kitty Hawk. 

The normal garbage collection schedule for Labor Day through Memorial Day is:

 

SOUTHERN SHORES
RESIDENTIAL	COMMERCIAL
Monday	Monday, Wednesday & Friday
KITTY HAWK
RESIDENTIAL	COMMERCIAL
Monday & Thursday	Monday, Wednesday & Friday
COLINGTON
RESIDENTIAL	COMMERCIAL
Monday & Thursday	Monday, Wednesday & Friday
MANTEO, WANCHESE, MANNS HARBOR, EAST LAKE AND STUMPY POINT
RESIDENTIAL	Commercial
Tuesday & Friday	Monday, Wednesday & Friday
BUXTON, FRISCO AND HATTERAS
RESIDENTIAL	COMMERCIAL
Monday & Thursday	Monday, Wednesday & Friday
RODANTHE, WAVES, SALVO AND AVON
RESIDENTIAL	COMMERCIAL
Tuesday & Friday	Monday, Wednesday & Friday

The collection schedule changes Memorial Day through Labor Day.  Garbage collection schedules will be affected by some of the other holiday closings in 2007.  Check local newspapers, http://www.darenc.com/, and Channel 20 for changes in your garbage pick-up days prior to the holidays listed above.

For questions about garbage pick-up in all areas of Dare County with the exception of incorporated towns of Manteo, Nags Head, and Kill Devil Hills, call Dare County Public Works at (252) 475-5881.  Remember, for all general questions about Dare County Government, call the Public Relations Office at 475-5900.

2007 FILING SEASON KICKS OFF WITH NEW FEATURES, EXTENDED TAX BREAKS; TAX FORMS IN MAIL THIS WEEK

The Internal Revenue Service today began a busy 2007 filing season that features telephone excise tax refunds, a new refund deposit feature and recently enacted tax breaks that may require extra attention from taxpayers.

"Taxpayers will have a number of new tax benefits and features available this year," IRS Commissioner Mark W. Everson said. "We encourage taxpayers to take a few minutes to review these changes, particularly those involving the recently enacted tax law provisions. The IRS will do everything it can to minimize the impact on taxpayers."

This week, the agency is sending 17 million 1040 tax packages for 2006 to taxpayers who have previously filed paper returns. The number of paper tax booklets being mailed to Americans continues to decline as more people opt for electronic filing. The IRS expects to process about 136 million individual tax returns for 2006, with more than half of those filed electronically.

"In North Carolina, the IRS projects greater than 60% of the more than 3.8 million individual taxpayers will file electronically this year," said IRS spokesperson Mark Hanson.

AMONG THE MAJOR CHANGES TAKING PLACE THIS YEAR:

Telephone Excise Tax Refund. Individual taxpayers will be able to request a refund if they paid the federal excise tax on long-distance or bundled service. The government stopped collecting the federal excise tax on long-distance service in August and announced plans to provide refunds of these taxes billed after Feb. 28, 2003, and before Aug. 1, 2006. More than 146 million individual taxpayers are expected to request the refund.

To request the refunds, taxpayers have several options:

Individual taxpayers can request the refund by using the standard amounts, which are based on the total number of exemptions claimed on the 2006 federal income tax return. Choosing the standard amount saves taxpayers the time and trouble of digging through 41 months of old phone bills. The standard amounts are $30 for a person filing a return with one exemption, $40 for two exemptions, $50 for three exemptions and $60 for four or more exemptions. For example, a married couple filing a joint return with two dependent children (for a total of four exemptions) will be eligible for the maximum standard amount of $60. To get the standard amount, eligible individual taxpayers will fill out an additional line on their regular 2006 1040 return. (Line 71 on Form 1040; Line 42 on Form 1040A; Line 9 on Form 1040EZ.)

Alternatively, individual taxpayers who want to request a refund of the actual amount of tax paid should figure that amount using Form 8913 and report it on their income tax return.

Businesses and tax-exempt organizations can also request a refund under a different procedure; more information is available at IRS.gov.

New 1040EZ-T Form. For people who don't need to file a regular tax return, the IRS has developed a special, shorter form to allow them to request the telephone refund. Copies of the Form 1040EZ-T will be available on IRS.gov, over the phone and at a variety of other locations. The IRS encourages people who qualify for the 1040EZ-T to file electronically through the Free File program, which will be available for free beginning later this month. More than 10 million taxpayers who aren't normally required to file a tax return may be able to use this new form. Taxpayers can either claim the standard amount on this form or attach a Form 8913 to claim actual amounts.

Recent Tax Law Enactments. The IRS is taking a number of steps to help taxpayers get the information they need to take advantage of tax law provisions enacted in December after IRS forms went to print.

This new legislation affects a number of areas of tax law, but the most significant effect on individual taxpayers involves the deductions for state and local sales tax, higher education tuition and fees, and educator expenses.

Taxpayers can visit IRS.gov for updated information on the late legislation. The IRS will conduct a special mailing of Publication 600, which will include the state and local sales tax tables and instructions for claiming the sales tax deduction on Schedule A (Form 1040), to 6 million taxpayers who also receive the 2006 Form 1040 package this month.

For taxpayers using a paper Form 1040, they will have to follow special instructions if they are claiming any of the three deductions. The key paper 1040 Forms went to print in November, so taxpayers will have to make special notations to claim the deductions if they use these paper forms. Specific details are available on IRS.gov. For people using IRS e-file or Free File, tax software will be updated to include the three key tax provisions, and e-file will get the refunds to taxpayers faster than paper returns.

"As we always do, we encourage taxpayers who think they may claim these deductions to file electronically," Everson said. "They will get their refunds faster through e-file. Even more importantly, e-file will greatly reduce the chances for making an error compared to claiming the deductions on the paper 1040."

The IRS will not be able to process tax returns claiming any extender-related deductions until early February. All other returns can be filed and processed as normal. Whether claiming an extender provision or not, the IRS notes that using IRS e-file is the most accurate way to file any return and the quickest way for taxpayers to receive their refunds. Based on filings last year, only about 930,000 tax returns claimed any of the three extender provisions by Feb. 1.

New Split Refund Option. For the first time, taxpayers can split their refunds among up to three accounts held by up to three different U.S. financial institutions, such as banks, mutual funds, brokerage firms or credit unions. To split their direct-deposit refunds among two or three different accounts or financial institutions, taxpayers should complete the new Form 8888, Direct Deposit of Refund to More Than One Account. Taxpayers can also continue to use the direct deposit line on the Forms 1040 to electronically send their refunds to one account.

Free File Improvements. The free electronic filing program begins later this month featuring improvements to benefit the 93 million taxpayers – 70% of all taxpayers - who qualify for the program. Free File, a partnership between the IRS and the private sector Free File Alliance, is available for taxpayers who earn $52,000 or less. This year, the program features an agreement by private sector partners to remove Refund Anticipation Loans (RALs) as well as other ancillary offerings from the program.

Last year, more than 72% of North Carolina individual taxpayers qualified for Free File, according to IRS spokesperson Mark Hanson.

IRS.GOV, E-FILE HELPS TAXPAYERS.

Given the large number of changes this year, there are several easy options for taxpayers to turn to for help. IRS.gov will have information on all the tax changes and new features this year. Key features include:

1040 Central. This is a one-stop online shop for people hunting key forms, looking for what's new in the tax code and answers to frequently asked questions.

Where's My Refund? Once taxpayers file their tax return, they can track their refund through the online tool "Where's My Refund?" at IRS.gov. Taxpayers will need some of the exact information from their tax return in order to use the tool. Access this secure Web site to find out if the IRS has processed the tax return and sent the refund.

Filing electronically will prevent problems for many taxpayers sorting through this year's changes. With IRS e-file, taxpayers can get their refunds in half the time of filing a paper tax return and receiving a refund check, even faster with direct deposit. IRS computers also quickly and automatically check for errors or other missing information, making e-filed returns more accurate and reducing the chance of getting an error letter from the IRS.

"With all the changes taking place, this is a good year for paper filers to try e-file," Everson said. "We remind taxpayers that e-filing is fast, secure and reliable."

Taxpayers consistently give high marks to e-file in satisfaction surveys. E-file ranks as one of the government's most popular programs, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index. And in a survey of users of Free File, 97% said they would recommend it to others.

LIBERTY AND FREEDOM

NORTH CAROLINA’S TOUR OF THE BILL OF RIGHTS

(RALEIGH, N.C.)  North Carolina’s copy of the Bill of Rights, stolen from the State Capitol in 1865, and recovered in a sting operation in 2003, will crisscross the state in 2007 during “Liberty and Freedom: North Carolina’s Tour of the Bill of Rights.”  The precious copy of the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution is one of only 15 known copies in existence.

“The tour of the Bill of Rights is a fitting way to mark ‘History Happens Here,’ which is Cultural Resources’ departmental theme for 2007,” said Secretary Lisbeth C. “Libba” Evans. “From the birth of the first English child in the New World, to the first formal sanction of independence, to the first discovery of gold in the U.S., North Carolina has much history to share.”

Stolen during the Union occupation of Raleigh during the final days of the Civil War, the Bill of Rights came home to North Carolina in 2005 after 140 years.  North Carolina Governor Mike Easley set in motion the creation of a team of law enforcement officials from North Carolina, Pennsylvania, the FBI, and the U.S. Marshal’s Office. Dealers were trying to sell the document to a museum in Philadelphia.

“The Bill of Rights plays an important part in the daily life of the United States, and North Carolina played a key part in the birth of the Bill of Rights,” said historian Dr. Jeffrey Crow, Deputy Secretary of the Office of Archives and History.  “North Carolina refused to join the United States until a Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution.”

Each stop on the tour will feature speakers who will highlight a different amendment:

Fayetteville, home of the state’s oldest newspaper still being published, will feature Freedom of the Press, Feb. 9-11.  The Bill of Rights will be on display at the Airborne and Special Ops Museum.

Wilmington, home of the oldest synagogue in the state will highlight Freedom of Religion, March 9-11.  The Bill of Rights will be on display at the Louise Wells Cameron Art Museum.

Edenton, home of North Carolina’s oldest courthouse, will host Freedom of Speech, April 19-21.  The Bill of Rights will be on display at the Chowan County Courthouse in Edenton.  Historic Edenton is one of 27 North Carolina State Historic Sites.

Raleigh, the capital of North Carolina, will highlight Non-Enumerated Rights during Constitution Week, Sept. 17-23.  The Bill of Rights will be on display at the North Carolina Museum of History.

Charlotte, home of the Mecklenburg Resolves, will showcase the Right to Assemble/Petition, Oct. 5-7.  The Bill of Rights will be on display at the library and performing arts center ImaginOn.

Asheville, in conjunction with the annual meeting of the North Carolina Literary and Historical Association, will host Right to a Jury Trial and Due Process, Nov. 8-10.  The Bill of Rights will be on display at UNC-Asheville.

Greensboro, site of the Battle of Guilford Courthouse will feature the Right to Bear Arms, Nov. 30 to Dec. 2.  The Bill of Rights will be on display at the Greensboro Museum of History. 

Signatures on the North Carolina copy include Frederick Augustus Muhlenberg as speaker of the House of Representatives and John Adams as U.S. vice-president and president of the Senate. The document also has the signatures of John Beckley, clerk of the House of Representatives and Sam A. Otis, secretary of the Senate.

The fragile document is made of parchment, which is very thin sheepskin or goatskin. It is approximately 31 3/8 inches x 26 1/2 inches.  After the document’s recovery, the Department of Cultural Resources had it professionally conserved.   It now sits on a sheet of polyester film and an acid free mat board, which is covered by polyester film. Another piece of mat board covers it and it has a window mat and cover to go over the top. It is contained in an acid free box which sits in another box, separated by bubble wrap.

“Liberty and Freedom” is presented by the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources, which includes the State Archives, 27 historic sites, seven history museums, Historical Publications, Offices of Archaeology and Preservation, the State Library, including genealogy, the N.C. Arts Council, N.C. Museum of Art, and N.C. Symphony.  Many programs relating to “History Happens Here” will be part of the department’s programming. 

Cultural Resources is a state agency dedicated to the promotion and protection of North Carolina’s arts, history and culture.  Now podcasting 24/7 with information about the Department of Cultural Resources, all available at http://www.ncculture.com/.